If comedy worked like a political race, Larry Wilmore would have a strong record to run on. He wrote for TV shows including the influential ‘90s TV sketch show “In Living Color,” Will Smith’s “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and “The Jamie Foxx Show,” and he created “The Bernie Mac Show.”

The topic of race has always run through Wilmore’s comedy, but in recent years he’s been putting it in the framework of politics, especially on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” where he was often billed as the show’s “senior black correspondent.” Now Wilmore is playing the host on his own TV show, “Larry Wilmore’s Race, Religion & Sex In…” Utah was in the title of the first installment, and a raucous panel discussion in front of a live audience in Salt Lake City delved into Mormon faith and mores.

After Showtime aired it as a special in August, the channel ordered a second one. It taped in Jacksonville, Fla., last weekend and will premiere on Showtime on Saturday. Guests included comedians Paul Rodriguez and Moshe Kasher, Republican strategist Ron Christie and Current TV host Ana Kasparian.

Is there a backstory to how you sold this idea to Showtime?

The original pitch was “Larry Wilmore talks to America.” Instead of doing a show in New York or Los Angeles, I always had the idea of going on the road. The panel discussion would be the meat, but I wanted to use the places we visited as a jumping off point. It’s a cousin to “Real Time With Bill Maher” more than “The Daily Show.”

You describe yourself as a passionate centrist. Were you trying to keep your neutrality as a host?

That’s who I am personally. What I really wanted to do was have a place where people can attack positions but not attack people. Hopefully it’s a safe place. Centrist doesn’t mean I’m always on the fence. It just means I don’t care if my opinion on the issue puts me on the right or left. The other point is, I don’t care if people disagree with me. I disagree with myself half the time. I may start out thinking one thing, and the evidence forces me to later think something else.

What’s an issue you’ve changed your mind on?

I grew up Catholic, in a culture that saw homosexuals as sinners in the eyes of God. But because I went into show business, I worked with homosexuals at a very early age. I had evidence in front of me that the people I knew were good, and that was against the values of the society I was brought up in.

Are you still a practicing Catholic?

I go to church every Sunday. I don’t agree with everything the church says or does, but I like its traditions. But then I’ve been at odds with the Catholic church since I was a kid.

In addition to being a centrist, you might also represent people who are politically ambivalent or even lazy. People who feel sort of lukewarm about hot-button issues.

You’re right. I do feel that, too. Like a lot of Americans, sometimes I’m just too tired to have an opinion. Why do I have to have a strong feeling about whatever you’re marching for? Why can’t I just watch the game?

In the first show you did, there was something specific to latch onto with Utah as the home of the Mormon church. What’s the essence of Florida?

We started with the craziness of Florida and the fact that they kind of screwed up one election for a lot of people. Other than that we tried to hit a lot of broader issues that are going on. The war on women, Muslim extremist behavior, and Florida’s law about bestiality.

You joke about how Obama got your vote because he’s black. Does that qualification still stand for this election?

That only works the first time around. Sorry, Obama, that was a one-time thing.

Will you get more episodes after the election?

We’re taking it one at a time, to see if it feels like a show. Hopefully it’ll do well this Saturday. One of the challenges of the show, or maybe an advantage, is that we can’t be a too topical because we can’t compete with shows that tape and air the same day. My monologue isn’t about hot topical issues, it’s more of a travelogue. I talk about where I am and who I am. I really love the traveling aspect of it.

What states are on your shortlist if you get to produce more episodes?

I’d love to do a show just about the South. Detroit would be interesting.

With all the discussion, do guests sometimes forget they’re supposed to be funny?

It happened more in this Florida show than the last one. Some of the subjects were a bit more provocative, but I don’t mind if the show goes in that direction. We thought it was interesting to talk about the Muslim religion, and how every other religion seems to be able to take a joke. And with the topic of women, we veered off into talking about abortion. I don’t think we’re going to air that part. It got a little serious.

About Speakeasy

Speakeasy is a blog covering media, entertainment, celebrity and the arts. The publication is produced by Barbara Chai and Jonathan Welsh with contributions from the Wall Street Journal staff and others. Write to us at speakeasy@wsj.com or follow us on Twitter at @WSJSpeakeasy or individually @barbarachai.